30 Days of Autism is a project designed to promote social understanding, civil rights, fight stigma, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.

Last night, on the night before Thanksgiving, we carved pumpkins. Yes, you heard that right!

Image: A jack o’lantern carved by H.

And today we travelled up the Fraser Canyon with our good friends – five of us in all. We each had a pumpkin, that would serve as our ticket for the Hell’s Gate Airtram that stretches across the narrowest most treacherous part of the rocky canyon, through which the Fraser River has carved its path.

And if that is not cool enough – on this day each year – you are allowed to toss the pumpkin from the tram and watch it smash on the rocks below…

It is ridiculous… and spectacular… and amazing!

Image: The arms and bodies of four warmly clothed people holding carved pumpkins.

Image: H holding his pumpkin.

We weren’t the only ones travelling with pumpkins, though we agreed that this biker’s pumpkin was definitely the most terrifying of the lot.

A motorcyclist holding a frowning pumpkin with a shock of unruly yellowish hair. He told me it was “Donald Trumpkin”

The lure was irresistible…
And I took about a billion photos… and a rather shaky video.
I will let them tell the story…

Image: H in the airtram – preparing to toss his pumpkin.

Image: H and K looking out at the view from the airtram.

Image: The Hell’s Gate Airtram with pumpkins being tossed out.

Image: H and friends walking toward the interpretation area on a wooden deck surrounded by trees.

Image: H and K in front of the Hell’s Gate sign.

Image: A view across the rocky canyon with a treed mountainside above. A train is visible on the tracks with a red engine that reads ‘Canadian Pacific’

Image: H and K walking along railway tracks lined by forest and mountains. The are exploring and H is foraging/hoping to find some bits of metal for blacksmithing.

Image: The target on the ground below the airtram covered in smashed pumpkins.

And finally, here is a rather poor quality video of the pumpkin toss. I must warn that it is jarring and possibly seizure inducing in the random movements of my camera. Yikes! I will try to get better at this in the future.

❤️ I am so grateful for these people and their friendship!
It was a ridiculously fun and spectacular day!

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30 Days of Autismis a project designed to fight stigma, promote civil rights, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.